A Man-Made Catastrophe Driven by British Greed and Neglect
Introduction: A Catastrophe That Changed History
The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 was not just a natural disaster but a man-made catastrophe fuelled by colonial exploitation and administrative apathy. Striking the prosperous regions of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, this devastating famine wiped out nearly 10 million people—almost one-third of Bengal’s population. The famine’s roots were not merely in the failure of the monsoon but in the brutal economic policies of the British East India Company, whose insatiable greed for revenue turned a drought into one of the deadliest humanitarian crises in history. While famine raged and corpses lined the streets, British officials prioritised tax collection and the export of agricultural produce, leaving millions to perish in agony.
Bengal, once the wealthiest province of India, was reduced to a wasteland of starvation, disease, and despair. Fields lay barren, villages emptied, and desperate survivors migrated in search of food, only to collapse on the roadside. Calcutta (now Kolkata), the seat of British power, saw an influx of starving refugees, yet the colonial rulers did little to provide relief. Instead, they continued forcing Indian farmers to grow cash crops like indigo and opium rather than life-sustaining grains, ensuring that the famine deepened while the Company’s profits soared. British officials, including Governor Warren Hastings, remained indifferent, enforcing taxation even as death loomed over the land. Those who could not pay were punished, pushing countless families into destitution.
The consequences of the 1770 Bengal famine were far-reaching, permanently altering the social and economic fabric of the region. The once-thriving industries of Bengal, particularly its renowned textile trade, collapsed as depopulation led to a severe labour shortage. The famine also set a chilling precedent—rather than learning from this disaster, the British Raj continued similar exploitative policies, leading to future crises like the Bengal Famine of 1943, which claimed another three million lives. Yet, despite its horrifying scale, this famine has largely been erased from mainstream historical narratives. Was this merely an oversight, or was it a deliberate attempt to suppress colonial crimes? The story of the Great Bengal Famine of 1770 is not just about the past—it is a warning about the devastating consequences of unchecked imperial greed and political neglect.
Causes of the Famine: A Deadly Combination
The Failed Monsoons and Drought: Natural Disaster or Cyclical Climate Pattern?
The famine of 1770 was triggered by a severe drought caused by the failure of the 1768 and 1769 monsoons, leading to a disastrous shortfall in food production. However, drought alone does not create famine—lack of food is one issue, but lack of access to food is what causes mass death. Bengal and its neighbouring regions—Bihar and Orissa—had faced droughts before, yet never had such an extreme catastrophe unfolded. This raises the question: Was this famine purely a natural disaster, or did deeper political and economic forces turn an environmental crisis into mass death? Pre-colonial rulers had historically implemented relief measures during such periods, ensuring food distribution and reducing taxes. But under British rule, no such protections existed. Instead, the East India Company continued to extract wealth, indifferent to the looming catastrophe. The failure of monsoons may have ignited the crisis, but it was British greed that fanned the flames into an inferno.
British East India Company’s Policies: Exploitation or Mass Murder?
The East India Company, which had taken control of Bengal following its victory at the Battle of Plassey (1757), prioritised profits over people. The famine was not merely an unfortunate consequence of British rule—it was the result of deliberate policies that drained Bengal’s resources for the benefit of British traders and shareholders. At the peak of the famine, rather than easing taxation or providing relief, the Company increased land revenue demands by 10%, forcing already starving farmers to pay exorbitant taxes. When peasants failed to pay, their lands were confiscated, and in many cases, they were violently punished. While millions starved, British officials continued exporting rice and grain from Bengal to other British territories, ensuring that there was no shortage of food—except for those who needed it most. The refusal to intervene, despite having the means to do so, was not just neglect; it was calculated economic brutality. Was this incompetence, or was it a form of engineered genocide?
Destruction of Local Agriculture: The Forced Shift from Food Crops to Cash Crops
The East India Company’s obsession with profit ensured that Bengal’s agricultural system was transformed into a factory for British wealth. Instead of allowing farmers to grow food to sustain their families and communities, they were forced into producing cash crops—indigo, opium, and jute—which were in high demand in Britain and China. Land that once grew rice and wheat was now dedicated to crops that could not feed the starving population. Even as famine tightened its grip on Bengal, British traders continued to push for more indigo and opium production, ensuring that food shortages became even worse. This was no accident—this was the economic strangulation of an entire population, a clear demonstration of colonial cruelty. By the time realisation set in, it was too late—millions had perished, and Bengal’s agricultural backbone was shattered.
Heavy Taxation and Revenue Demands: A Death Sentence for the Peasants
Even in the face of widespread starvation, the British East India Company showed no mercy. Taxation continued at pre-famine levels, and in some cases, it was increased, pushing desperate peasants into an impossible situation. Those who could not pay were thrown off their lands, reducing them to beggars. Many resorted to selling their possessions, their cattle, and even their children in a desperate bid for survival. The Company’s tax collectors, acting with ruthless efficiency, ensured that revenue flowed uninterrupted into British coffers, even as Bengal’s people collapsed in the streets. Meanwhile, British officials in Calcutta (now Kolkata) feasted in their mansions, their wealth growing as millions starved just beyond their walls. The famine was not an accident—it was the result of a brutal and predatory system that viewed human life as expendable in the pursuit of wealth. The question remains: Was the British Empire built on trade, or on the bones of the starving?
The Unfolding Crisis: How the Famine Devoured Millions
The first signs of disaster emerged in 1769, when crop yields began to decline due to insufficient rainfall. As food stocks dwindled, prices soared beyond the reach of ordinary people, forcing many to ration their meals or go without food entirely. The warning signs were evident—peasants pleaded for relief, local markets collapsed, and reports of distress reached the British East India Company’s officials in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Yet, instead of preparing for an impending humanitarian crisis, the Company continued its ruthless taxation policies, prioritising revenue over relief. Landlords, under pressure to meet revenue demands, intensified their collection efforts, pushing already struggling farmers into destitution. By early 1770, the famine had fully taken hold, and the streets of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa became filled with the dying and the dead.
As hunger spread, so did disease. Malnutrition weakened the population, making them more vulnerable to illnesses like cholera, dysentery, and smallpox, which ravaged entire villages. Starvation was not a quick death—it was slow, agonising, and inescapable. Families were torn apart as parents abandoned their children, hoping they might survive elsewhere. Villages that once thrived became ghost towns, their inhabitants either dead or too weak to flee. In the cities, desperate crowds gathered outside the homes of British officials and wealthy traders, begging for food—only to be driven away by soldiers. The British-controlled granaries remained full, yet no large-scale relief efforts were launched. Instead, food continued to be exported, ensuring that famine was not just the result of scarcity but of deliberate indifference.
The social fabric of Bengal disintegrated as the crisis deepened. Mass migrations saw starving peasants wandering aimlessly in search of food, only to collapse on the roadsides. Lawlessness surged as starving individuals turned to theft, looting, and even cannibalism in their desperation to survive. The British East India Company, which had absolute control over Bengal, had the power to intervene but chose not to. Despite witnessing the horror firsthand, British officials refused to reduce taxes or distribute grain from the reserves. Was this negligence, or was it something more sinister? As 10 million people perished, one thing became clear—the famine was not just a failure of policy, but an unforgivable crime of empire.
The Role of the British East India Company: An Empire’s Hunger for Profit
The Company’s Focus on Revenue Collection Despite the Famine
The British East India Company, which had seized control of Bengal following its victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, ruled not as a governing body but as a corporate empire driven solely by profit. When the famine struck in 1770, it was evident that the people of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa were facing an existential crisis. Yet, the Company remained fixated on extracting revenue, showing no concern for the suffering of millions. Despite widespread starvation, the British administration did not lower land taxes or provide any substantial relief. Instead, officials continued collecting taxes at pre-famine rates, ensuring that even those who had lost their crops and livestock were still expected to pay. Those who failed to meet these demands faced harsh reprisals—peasants were evicted from their lands, their homes seized, and in some cases, they were physically punished. The Company’s insistence on maintaining revenue collection at the cost of human lives raises an uncomfortable question: Was this merely ruthless governance, or was it an orchestrated act of mass exploitation?
Forced Indigo and Opium Cultivation – Profits Over Human Lives
Bengal’s agriculture had historically been diverse, with farmers growing rice, wheat, and other staple crops essential for survival. However, under British rule, the emphasis shifted towards cash crops—particularly indigo and opium, which were in high demand in Britain and China. Farmers were often forced to grow these non-edible crops under oppressive contracts, leaving them with little land to cultivate food for themselves. Even as famine gripped the land, the British administration prioritised the production of indigo and opium over rice and wheat, ensuring that starvation continued unabated. Opium, a lucrative commodity for the East India Company, was produced in Bihar and Bengal and then exported to China, where it fuelled the infamous opium trade. Instead of diverting agricultural resources towards feeding the starving population, the Company ensured that Bengal’s fields remained dedicated to crops that benefited British trade, not Indian survival. This deliberate economic manipulation led to a situation where food shortages were not just the result of natural disaster but of colonial greed and corporate exploitation.
Tax Collection During Mass Starvation – An Unforgivable Crime?
One of the most damning aspects of the British response to the famine was their unwavering insistence on tax collection, even as the population perished en masse. In 1770, at the peak of the crisis, reports suggest that up to one-third of Bengal’s population had already died, yet the East India Company showed no intention of easing the financial burden. Shockingly, tax revenues remained nearly unchanged during the famine year, demonstrating just how relentless British officials were in extracting wealth. The logic behind this policy was chilling—the fewer people alive, the fewer to resist, meaning the surviving population could be forced to work even harder to make up for lost revenue. Those who could not pay were stripped of their lands, further consolidating power in the hands of British landlords and traders. This raises the uncomfortable question: Was this merely negligence, or was the famine weaponised as a tool for economic domination?
Warren Hastings and His Controversial Role in the Crisis
Warren Hastings, who later became the first Governor-General of India, was a senior official in Bengal during the famine. His role in the crisis remains controversial—while some argue that he was bound by the policies of the Company, others believe he actively allowed the famine to spiral out of control. Hastings and other British administrators saw Bengal as a financial asset rather than a region in need of humanitarian aid. Although some British officials reported the desperate situation to the authorities in London, Hastings and his superiors refused to implement large-scale relief measures. Unlike past Indian rulers, who had responded to famines by reducing taxes and distributing food, Hastings and the British administration increased revenue demands, ensuring that the suffering continued. His actions—or lack thereof—cemented the idea that the British rule in India was built not on governance but on ruthless financial exploitation.
The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 was not merely an unfortunate disaster—it was a direct consequence of colonial policies that prioritised profit over human life. While the famine may have started due to failed monsoons, it was the British East India Company’s brutal taxation, forced crop policies, and callous indifference that turned it into one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in history. The fact that Bengal, once one of the richest regions in the world, was reduced to a land of mass starvation under British rule is a stark reminder of how empire-building was fuelled by systematic exploitation, economic greed, and calculated indifference.
Human Suffering: The Unimaginable Horror of Starvation
The Streets Filled with Corpses – A Land of the Dead
By 1770, Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa had transformed into a vast graveyard. The famine had wiped out millions, and with no means to bury or cremate the dead, corpses lined the streets, rotting under the harsh sun. Villages that once bustled with life became silent, their inhabitants either dead or too weak to move. In Calcutta (now Kolkata), emaciated bodies lay in heaps along the roads, ignored by the British elite who continued their lavish lifestyles in their walled estates. The air reeked of decay, as even the scavengers—dogs, vultures, and jackals—grew too full to consume the endless supply of human remains. The famine had not just killed people; it had shattered the very fabric of society, reducing one of India’s most prosperous regions into a land of the dead. While British officials dined in their luxurious halls, the starving population begged for a scrap of food, only to collapse and die at the very gates of their rulers.
Families Selling Children to Survive
Desperation drove people to unthinkable acts. With no food, no money, and no hope, many families were forced to sell their children—not for wealth or comfort, but merely to secure enough food to survive another day. Mothers and fathers, torn apart by starvation, gave away their infants to slave traders or wealthier households, hoping they would at least be fed. In some cases, children were exchanged for a handful of rice, a final act of agony before parents themselves succumbed to death. The British administration, aware of the situation, did nothing to stop this descent into horror. The famine created an entire generation of orphans, many of whom were either abandoned or forced into servitude. This was not just a humanitarian disaster; it was a moral collapse engineered by an empire that saw India not as a land of people, but as a resource to be drained.
Disease Outbreaks: Cholera, Dysentery, and Smallpox
As malnutrition spread, so did deadly diseases. Starving bodies were too weak to resist cholera, dysentery, and smallpox, which ravaged entire communities. Contaminated water sources, packed refugee camps, and unburied corpses created the perfect conditions for epidemics to flourish. In Murshidabad, Patna, and Dacca (now Dhaka), thousands perished not from hunger alone, but from the infections that followed. British officials, instead of organising medical relief, remained indifferent, letting disease take its course. The death toll was not merely the result of natural causes—it was compounded by colonial neglect and greed. While the famine itself was devastating, the unchecked spread of disease ensured that entire bloodlines and communities were wiped out, their histories erased in the span of a few months.
Cannibalism and Suicide – When Hope Was Lost
For many, the famine reached a point where survival was no longer an option. As food became non-existent, reports surfaced of desperate individuals resorting to cannibalism, consuming the flesh of the dead in a last, horrific attempt to stay alive. In isolated villages, starving survivors fed on corpses, a haunting reflection of the depths of human suffering. Meanwhile, countless others chose to end their own lives rather than endure another day of unrelenting starvation. Mass suicides became common—entire families walked into rivers, unable to face another day of suffering. In Bihar and Bengal, wells became graveyards as people threw themselves in, preferring a quick death over a slow, torturous one. The British, fully aware of these horrors, continued to collect taxes and ship grain to other territories, proving that their priority was not governance, but profit.
The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 was not just a natural calamity—it was a man-made catastrophe engineered through colonial exploitation, economic brutality, and political apathy. The unimaginable suffering endured by millions was not an unfortunate accident; it was the direct consequence of an empire that viewed human life as disposable in its relentless pursuit of wealth.
Economic and Social Collapse: The Aftermath of the Famine
Depopulation and Deserted Villages – Bengal’s Lost Generation
By the end of 1770, Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa had lost nearly one-third of their population, leaving behind a landscape of abandoned villages and barren farmlands. Entire communities were wiped out, and once-thriving settlements turned into ghost towns. Families that had lived on the same land for generations simply ceased to exist, their homes left to crumble under the weight of time. In some areas, there were not even enough survivors left to perform burial rites, leaving skeletal remains scattered across the countryside. The famine did not just kill individuals—it wiped out entire bloodlines, creating a lost generation that would never pass down its traditions, knowledge, or culture. This level of depopulation was catastrophic, yet the British East India Company, the very rulers who had overseen this devastation, barely acknowledged it. For them, Bengal was a financial asset, and the loss of millions was merely an inconvenience rather than a humanitarian crisis. Was this merely neglect, or was it the deliberate breaking of a society to make it easier to control?
The Shattered Economy – The Fall of Agriculture, Trade, and Industry
The famine did not just kill people—it destroyed Bengal’s economy, setting the region back by decades. Agriculture, the backbone of society, collapsed as the death of farmers left vast fields uncultivated. The once-thriving silk and textile industries of Murshidabad and Dhaka suffered as skilled artisans perished or fled in search of food. Trade routes fell into disarray, markets stood empty, and British profits—built on the forced labour of Bengal’s people—temporarily dwindled. Yet, instead of rebuilding, the East India Company tightened its grip, forcing the surviving population into even harsher conditions to make up for lost revenue. The British administration had no interest in economic recovery for Bengal’s people—it only cared about restoring profits for Britain. The famine should have led to policies that protected the population from future disasters, but instead, it became a blueprint for further exploitation, ensuring that Bengal remained dependent, weakened, and under the control of its colonial rulers.
Rise of Banditry and Lawlessness – When Survival Meant Violence
With society shattered and the economy in ruins, Bengal descended into chaos. Starvation had stripped people of all morality—where once law and order prevailed, now banditry and violence reigned. Highways became death traps, as desperate survivors turned to robbery and murder just to secure a few grains of rice. Large groups of former farmers and workers, left with nothing, took up arms against landlords, British officials, and even their own countrymen in their fight for survival. Dacoits (bandits) roamed the countryside, looting whatever remained, while British forces, instead of providing relief, responded with brute force. The famine had created a vicious cycle—starvation led to lawlessness, lawlessness led to crackdowns, and crackdowns led to even greater suffering. The East India Company viewed these uprisings as mere criminal activity, refusing to acknowledge that their policies had driven people to such desperation. In reality, Bengal’s descent into lawlessness was not just the result of hunger, but the direct outcome of colonial exploitation that had turned a once-prosperous land into a wasteland of despair and violence.
The British Response: Neglect or Genocide?
The British East India Company’s response to the Great Bengal Famine of 1770 was not just inadequate—it was outright callous. Unlike Indian rulers of the past, who had historically reduced taxes and distributed food during famines, the British took the opposite approach. No large-scale relief efforts were launched, no tax cuts were offered, and no emergency grain distributions were organised. Instead, the Company continued to demand land revenue at pre-famine rates, even as the population collapsed under starvation. Those who could not pay were evicted from their lands, further deepening their misery. The British officials in Calcutta (now Kolkata) justified their inaction with cold economic logic, arguing that any intervention would “disrupt the market” and set a bad precedent. But this wasn’t mere economic mismanagement—this was a deliberate refusal to save lives. With warehouses stocked with grain and trade routes still operational, there was no absolute shortage of food; there was only a ruthless prioritisation of British profits over Indian survival.
Even more damning was the British decision to continue exporting grain out of Bengal, ensuring that food which could have saved lives was instead sent elsewhere for profit. While millions perished, ships carried rice and wheat to other British territories, proving that starvation was not simply the result of natural scarcity, but of political choice. Historians have debated whether this was an act of gross negligence or something far more sinister—state-sanctioned mass death. The British later attempted to downplay the famine, with no official inquiry conducted until decades later, and even then, it was a half-hearted attempt to whitewash history. Records of the time suggest that Company officials knew the scale of the disaster but deliberately chose to do nothing, seeing the famine as a way to tighten their grip over Bengal by reducing its population and strengthening British control. Was this just colonial indifference, or was it something even more insidious—a calculated act of engineered devastation to cement British dominance?
Long-Term Impact on Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa
The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 left a lasting scar on the region, reshaping its economic, social, and political landscape for generations. The famine not only devastated Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa at the time but also set a precedent for how the British East India Company and later the British Raj would handle future crises. The sheer scale of depopulation led to a permanent decline in agricultural productivity, as vast areas of farmland were abandoned, and skilled labourers either perished or fled. The economy, once thriving with trade in textiles and agriculture, never fully recovered. The British, instead of addressing the root causes, used the weakened population as an opportunity to impose even stricter control. They restructured land ownership systems, empowering British landlords and pushing local farmers into deeper cycles of debt and poverty. The famine fundamentally shifted power dynamics in Bengal, reinforcing British dominance while ensuring that Indian farmers and traders became completely dependent on the colonial administration.
Perhaps the most tragic consequence of the famine was the blueprint it provided for future British policies, particularly regarding food distribution and economic control. The disaster exposed how colonial rulers viewed India—not as a nation of people, but as a resource to be exploited for British profit. This same mentality would later contribute to other devastating famines, including the Bengal Famine of 1943, where millions perished under similar circumstances of British negligence and economic prioritisation over human life. The famine of 1770 proved that Britain would never see Indian lives as worth saving if it interfered with their financial gains. Despite the undeniable evidence of British mismanagement, no significant policy changes were implemented to prevent future disasters. Instead, the pattern of forced cash crop cultivation, high taxation, and restricted food distribution continued well into the 20th century, ensuring that famine would remain a recurring tragedy under colonial rule.
Lessons from the Great Bengal Famine: Could History Repeat Itself?
The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 serves as a chilling reminder of what happens when economic greed and political apathy take precedence over human survival. The famine was not solely the result of a natural disaster but rather a man-made catastrophe, exacerbated by the British East India Company’s ruthless taxation policies and grain export practices. It highlights the dangers of economic exploitation during crises, a lesson that remains relevant today. Even in the modern world, nations facing economic instability or external debt often see their resources extracted for global markets rather than prioritised for local needs. The famine also exposed the consequences of unregulated market policies, where food was treated as a commodity rather than a basic human right. If history has taught us anything, it is that unchecked corporate or governmental control over essential resources can lead to mass suffering, even in times of abundance.
In today’s world, climate change, food security, and government policies remain critical factors that could lead to future famines if mismanaged. With shifting weather patterns, rising global temperatures, and unpredictable monsoons, agricultural stability is increasingly under threat, particularly in regions dependent on seasonal rainfall. The Bengal famine occurred in part due to drought, but it was human negligence that turned it into a disaster. Similar scenarios could unfold again if governments fail to intervene with proper food distribution and relief measures during crises. The role of state intervention is crucial in preventing history from repeating itself, whether through strategic food reserves, social welfare programmes, or market regulations that prioritise people over profit. The 1770 famine should not just be remembered as a historical tragedy but as a warning—a stark example of what happens when those in power choose profit over lives.
The Forgotten Tragedy: Why the World Barely Remembers the 1770 Famine
The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 remains one of the most devastating humanitarian disasters in history, yet it is rarely discussed in mainstream historical narratives. This is largely due to colonial whitewashing and historical erasure, where British historians and officials deliberately downplayed the scale of the catastrophe to protect the image of the empire. Unlike other famines that sparked global outrage, the suffering of millions in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa was conveniently ignored in British records. The East India Company, responsible for much of the mismanagement, never faced accountability, and British textbooks either omitted or softened the famine’s impact. Over time, the memory of this tragedy faded, overshadowed by later colonial famines and conflicts. Even today, many in Britain remain unaware of their country’s role in this disaster, raising questions about the ethics of historical accountability. If the famine had taken place in a European nation, would it have been so easily forgotten? Or was it ignored because its victims were colonial subjects deemed unworthy of remembrance?
Modern historians are now revisiting the famine, acknowledging it as a man-made disaster caused by British economic policies rather than a mere act of nature. Some scholars argue that the famine should be classified as a crime against humanity, as it was largely the result of British indifference and exploitative governance. This has led to growing debates over whether Britain should formally apologise for its role in the deaths of millions. Similar calls for acknowledgment have been made regarding other colonial atrocities, such as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Bengal Famine of 1943. However, the British government has historically resisted offering official apologies, fearing that such admissions could lead to demands for reparations. The question remains: should former colonial powers take responsibility for the suffering they caused? Or will the legacy of imperialism continue to be selectively remembered, glorifying conquest while erasing its devastating consequences? The Great Bengal Famine is not just a forgotten tragedy—it is a glaring example of how history is shaped by those in power.
Conclusion: A Dark Legacy of Exploitation and Indifference
The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 was not just a natural disaster but a brutal consequence of colonial greed, economic exploitation, and political apathy. It exposed the British East India Company’s complete disregard for human life, prioritising profit over the survival of millions. The famine’s devastating impact reshaped Bengal’s economy, weakened its society, and provided a blueprint for future colonial mismanagement, leading to further famines under British rule. Despite its scale, this tragedy remains largely forgotten, raising uncomfortable questions about historical accountability and the ethics of imperialism. As the world grapples with modern food crises, the lessons of 1770 remain painfully relevant—when those in power prioritise wealth over humanity, disaster is inevitable.
FAQs on the Great Bengal Famine of 1770
How many people died in the Great Bengal Famine of 1770?
It is estimated that around 10 million people—nearly one-third of Bengal’s population—died due to starvation, disease, and economic collapse.
Was the famine purely caused by natural disasters?
No, while a drought contributed, the famine was largely man-made, worsened by the British East India Company’s heavy taxation, grain exports, and failure to provide relief.
Did the British East India Company provide any relief efforts?
No significant relief was provided. Instead, the Company continued collecting taxes at pre-famine rates and even exported grain while millions starved.
How did the famine affect Bengal’s economy in the long run?
The famine led to mass depopulation, agricultural decline, and the collapse of local industries, allowing the British to tighten their control and enforce exploitative policies.
Are there any memorials or historical records of this famine?
There are few official memorials, as British historians downplayed the event, but modern research highlights it as one of the deadliest colonial famines in history.
Could such a famine happen again in modern India?
While improved governance and food security measures make a famine of this scale unlikely, economic mismanagement, climate change, and policy failures could still lead to severe food crises.
References:
Great Bengal famine of 1770 – Wikipedia
Bengal famine | Indian history | Britannica
Bengal Famine 1770: Background, Causes & More
YT links:
‘I saw children like us lying dead on the streets’ | I remember the Bengal Famine | BBC News India
Great Bengal Famine Of 1770 | History Of British East India Company | Urdu/Hindi
The great Bengal famine of 1770
